‘We love and miss her dearly’: Infant dead after found not breathing at day care

BOSSIER CITY, La. (KSLA/Gray News) - An investigation was launched after a 3-month-old baby was found not breathing at a day care.

On March 11, the Bossier City Fire Department was dispatched to Plume Academy Daycare in Louisiana.

When first responders arrived, they found that 3-month-old Dakota Becker was not breathing.

CPR was performed and Dakota was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Dakota’s mom, Kelly Becker, says she does not suspect the day care had anything to do with her daughter’s death.

“While Dakota was there, they took great care of her along with our oldest daughter, Blake, for the last three years. Dakota was the biggest blessing and came into this world full force with no waiting. We love and miss her dearly,” she said.

The day care in 2023 did not meet CPR certification requirements on two different instances when there was a failure to show documentation that all staff members were infant, child and adult CPR certified.

Also last year during the two inspections, there were two other deficiencies in separate instances in which staff members who have access to children did not have current certification in pediatric first aid training approved by the department, according to an investigation by KSLA.

In September, a staff member failed to notify child welfare within 24 of a critical incident when a 1-year-old’s arm was pulled out of socket at the elbow after playing with a 2-year-old, according to a doctor.

The staff member said they did not report the incident because she did not think she needed to.

Plume Academy Daycare has not responded to a request for comment.

The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy has been ordered to determine Dakota’s cause of death.

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